A Letter to Our True Friends

Introduction to
the Letter:

As we discussed
in the previous
letters of our
series, the
Torah contains a
universal path
for all
humanity. Within
this path, we
find seven basic
categories of
mitzvos – Divine
mandates – which
provide an
ethical and
moral foundation
for human
society. In
addition, there
are sources
within our
tradition which
state that all
human beings
should fulfill
the mitzvos of
the Torah which
are suggested by
human reason and
the
understanding of
the heart. One
example that is
cited is the
mitzvah of
tzedekah – the
sharing of our
resources with
those in need.

There are a
growing number
of non-Jews who
are striving to
fulfill the
precepts of this
life-giving
path. They are
often referred
to as Bnei
Noach – the
Children of
Noah, for the
basic precepts
of this path
were reaffirmed
in the
generation of
Noah, after the
great flood.
Maimonides
states that this
universal path
was later
reaffirmed when
the Torah was
given at Mount
Sinai (The Law
of Kings 8:11).
The Bnei Noach
realize that the
Torah and its
interpretations
were given to
our people at
Mount Sinai;
thus, they seek
to study with
rabbis who can
guide them on
their path. At
this stage, the
majority are
former
Christians who
have chosen to
accept Torah
teachings
regarding the
Oneness of God,
the Messiah, the
purpose of the
human being in
this world, and
other related
issues. They are
true friends who
love and respect
our people and
our Judaism. As
friends of our
people, they
take a strong
stand against
all forms of
anti-Jewish
hatred, and they
are strong
allies of the
State of Israel.
In appreciation
of their
friendship and
spiritual
accomplishments,
I have written
the following
letter to
members of the
Bnei Noach
movement:

A Letter from
Jerusalem to Our
True Friends:

Dear Friends,

As members of
the growing Bnei
Noach movement,
you acknowledge
the oneness and
unity of Hashem,
the
Compassionate
One. I therefore
think of you in
my daily
prayers,
especially when
I proclaim in
the morning and
evening, “Hear O
Israel, Hashem
is our God,
Hashem is One!”
(Deuteronomy
6:4). According
to the classical
biblical
commentator,
Rashi, when we
proclaim “Hashem
is One,” we are
proclaiming that
in the future
all the peoples
of the earth
will recognize
the unity and
oneness of
Hashem, as it is
written:

“For then I will
change the
peoples to speak
a pure language,
so that they
will all
proclaim the
Name of Hashem,
to serve Him
with a united
resolve.”
(Zephaniah 3:9)

As Rashi reminds
us, it is also
written, "On
that day Hashem
will be One and
His Name One"
(Zechariah
14:9). May that
day soon arrive.
In the
meanwhile, you
should realize
that you are
spiritual
pioneers who are
preparing for
that great day
by joining with
the People of
Israel in
proclaiming,
“Hashem is One!”

When we proclaim
that Hashem is
One, we are also
proclaiming that
we are to only
serve the One
and Unifying
Creator of the
Universe. In
this spirit, the
Divine voice
proclaimed at
Mount Sinai,
“You shall not
have other gods
before My
Presence”
(Exodus 20:3).
And it is also
written, “Know
it today and
take it to heart
repeatedly that
Hashem alone is
God; in heaven
above and on
earth below –
there is none
other”
(Deuteronomy
4:39). It is
therefore
forbidden to
deify any
object, force,
or being,
including a
human being. In
fact, the Torah
tells us that
“God is not a
man” (Numbers
23:19).

Many of you live
among Christians
who deify a
Jewish man who
lived over 2,000
years ago;
moreover, they
proclaim that
the only way to
reach God is
through this
man. You have
had the wisdom
and the courage
to reject this
belief, and you
have chosen to
follow the
original
teaching of
Abraham and
Sarah, who
taught human
beings to pray
directly to the
Compassionate
One. In fact,
all the great
biblical figures
including Moses,
Aaron, Miriam,
Deborah, David,
Isaiah, and
Jeremiah prayed
directly to the
Compassionate
One. This is how
the Torah taught
us to pray, and
anyone who reads
the Book of
Psalms can
discover the
Torah approach
to prayer.

There is a
Christian folk
song which
contains the
words, “Give me
that old-time
religion.” The
song mentions
that if the
“old-time
religion” was
good enough for
Abraham, Moses,
and a host of
biblical
figures, “it is
good enough for
me.” From the
perspective of
the Torah,
however, those
who pray
directly to
Hashem are the
ones who are
truly in the
spirit of that
“old-time
religion,” for
they are
emulating
Abraham, Sarah,
and all the
great biblical
figures.

We therefore
need to remember
that “Hashem is
close to all who
call upon Him,
to all who call
upon him
sincerely”
(Psalm 145:18).
A classical
biblical
commentator,
Radak, explains
that this verse
is revealing
that the
Compassionate
One is close to
“all” who call
upon Him,
“regardless of
nationality.” In
other words, you
don't have to be
Jewish in order
to experience
the loving
closeness of the
Compassionate
One!

Many of you are
former
Christians, and
there are
Christian
preachers who
told you that
your soul is
eternally damned
and that you
cannot go to
Heaven, since
you no longer
accept their
“Lord and
Savior.” You are
in good company,
for in the view
of these
preachers, we,
the People of
Israel, are also
not going to
Heaven, since we
do not pray to
the man they
view as their
Lord and Savior.
For example,
when the State
of Israel
captured
Eichman, a
leading Nazi
murderer, the
Israeli
government
assigned the
Reverend William
Hall, a Canadian
missionary
living in
Jerusalem, to
serve as his
chaplain. Hall
later told the
press that had
this murderer of
Jewish men,
women, and
children
accepted his
“Savior” before
he was executed,
he would have
immediately
entered the
gates of
paradise. Hall
was then asked,
“And what of the
souls of his six
million Jewish
victims?” Hall
replied that
they would
certainly not
have entered
paradise, for
they had not
accepted the
Church’s
“salvation.”
(Cited in the
ArtScroll book,
“Once Upon a
Shtetl,” by
Chaim Shapiro)

We, the people
who received the
Torah, have a
different view
regarding entry
into the
heavenly
paradise: The
heaven of our
God has lots of
room, and any
human being who
is a “chassid” –
a person who is
lovingly devoted
to serving the
Creator and His
creation – can
enter the gates
of paradise. As
our sages state:
“The chassidim
among the
nations have a
share in the
World to Come.”
(Tosefta –
Sanhedrin 13:1)

You share our
basic beliefs,
and you also
recognize that
the Messiah has
not yet arrived,
for you realize
that if someone
is to be
officially
recognized as
the Messiah, he
must fulfill the
prophecies that
are outlined in
Isaiah 11 and
many other
places within
our Sacred
Scriptures.
According to
these
prophecies, the
Messiah will
gather in all
the exiles of
Israel, and he
will inspire all
human beings to
return to the
Compassionate
One. His arrival
will inaugurate
an era of
universal peace
and spiritual
enlightenment,
“for the earth
will be filled
with knowledge
of Hashem as
water covering
the sea bed”
(Isaiah 11:9).
In addition, the
Temple will be
rebuilt, and it
will be known
as, “a house of
prayer for all
the peoples”
(Isaiah 56:7).
These prophecies
have not yet
been fulfilled;
thus, you join
our people in
awaiting the
true Messiah who
will redeem
Israel and all
humankind.

Your love and
respect for the
Jewish people
and Judaism is
in the spirit of
the prophecy
which describes
how the peoples
of the earth
will eventually
become our
spiritual
allies, and they
will say to us,
“Let us go with
you, for we have
heard that God
is with you”
(Zechariah
8:23).

As a Torah
educator, I have
much respect and
appreciation for
your willingness
to be our
spiritual
allies,
especially since
we are now
living in a
period when
anti-Jewish
hatred is
spreading, and
enemies that are
dedicated to our
destruction are
gaining strength
and support.
According to our
prophets and
sages, this
danger is part
of the birth
pangs that will
lead to the
birth of the
messianic age,
when all hatred
and violence
will be
eliminated from
the world. The
birth of this
age has not yet
taken place;
nevertheless,
you have the
courage to
befriend us and
to publicly
support our
mission during
this difficult
and dangerous
period. You will
therefore share
in our joy when
the “birth” will
take place, and
the following
prophecy will be
fulfilled:

"It will happen
in the end of
days: The
mountain of the
Temple of Hashem
will be firmly
established as
the head of the
mountains, and
it will be
exalted above
the hills, and
all the nations
will stream to
it. Many peoples
will go and say,
'Come, let us go
up to the
Mountain of
Hashem, to the
Temple of the
God of Jacob,
and He will
teach us of His
ways and we will
walk in His
paths.' For from
Zion will go
forth Torah, and
the word of
Hashem from
Jerusalem."
(Isaiah 2: 2,3)

May the
Compassionate
One guide,
bless, and
protect you, and
may we meet at
the great
ingathering in
Jerusalem.